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Show Stories from Here and There Fiddlesticks. The uninitiated would be inclined to say "Fiddlesticks!" if they were told that a violin could be worth $12,500. Tet the one which the wonderful Russian violinist, Count Ignace Glator, plays upon so divinely, divine-ly, coat elx American lady admirers that sum before they could secure It for presentation to the nobie Russian. Rus-sian. It 1b a Strad, of coujbc, and therefore easily worth ten times its weight in gold. There Is a Strad at Madrid which no money could buy. It was presented pre-sented by Queen Isabella of 8paln to the prince of violinists, Harasate, when he played before her as a little lit-tle chap, of ten. She was so overwhelmed over-whelmed with admiration of the little lit-tle fellow's amazing frenius that nlie gave hlrn this pil'olcfs instrument; but it was privately arranged that if should revert to the State on the master's death. A short time ago a workman out of employment carried an old violin to a shop at Kyon, near fleneva, and offered it for sale, saying that his family were badl y in nofd of the money. Out of pity a young clerk In the shop gave him fifteen francs for It. and after having it repaired played on It. He was amazed at its melody, and when a neighboring musician offered him four pounds for it he took It to an expert, who declared It an Amatl. A very well-known American amateur am-ateur was then living near I'ader-ewskl, I'ader-ewskl, at Morges, not far from Lausanne. He heard a rumor of this discovery, sought oul the young c.erk, and eventually gave him 4";'0 for the Instrument. Th: clerk, on his part, sought out the poor workman, and trave lilm much more than fifteen francs. Fifteen Wives. Polygamy is the universal practice prac-tice In the equatorial provinces. "It would be absolutely Improper," saya Emln Pasha, "for even a small chief to have fewer than ten or fifteen wives." The usual price of a wlft In Unyoro is four oxen or cows, unless un-less she be so plain that site Is a drug in the marriage market, when a deduction Is made. Among the Madl the value of wives and oxen and the pay of porters por-ters are calculated In shovels. Mar-rlB Mar-rlB go customs vary with tri hes, but, as a rule, the bride has little option Jn the me l.ter. Among the Madl when a young man wIkIhs to marry he mentions the matter to his father, who talks the qutlon over with the fnther of the young wornnn, and ubpfjuent1y nil the bride's relations, from grand f:t t hor to Tr in ale cousins hold a family council. A largo price Is ubum 1 .y n sked for the girl, ."ay a hundred oxen, which Is probably beaten down to ahout forty, and when the bride Is handed over her .fat her gives a feast, and, If he be generouw. he will return ten of the oxen. The A war will not allow their girls to marry out of the tribe, but the men sometimes some-times marry Bitlu girls, who nwiy be obtal ned cheaply for a lew goats or shove.s. Guzzling w Ji h banana and other native hters Is very general, and both sexes wmoke continually. Coffee grows luxuriantly, but the hoaiiH are only used for chewing. Cannibalism prevails in almost every tribe, though the practice Is concealed In the neighborhood of the sta lions. |